Finally Understanding: Comfort and Love
by ScarlettAvery
Summary: What if the one she loves finds her crying at the kitchen table? He tries to offer comfort, but how well can it work when he doesn't understand and is the one who made her cry?


Her eyes held a certain sadness in their depths, as if she had just realized her dreams were impossible. Indeed, they were. Or so she thought.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her head on her palms, her wavy brown red hair falling to form a curtain around her face. Her emerald green eyes staring, transfixedly, at the table.

Thoughts of the man she loved trailed through her mind. How could he ever love her? He couldn't. It was impossible. She knew him. He would never get involved with her. She was an ex-student and he, her ex-profesor, not to mention twenty years her senior.

Tears began to leak from her eyes.

Why was she crying? She couldn't understand. She _never_ cried. She was strong and not the type to cry over men. But, her thoughts and feelings told her, he isn't just any man. He's _the _man. _Her _man.

She failed to notice the man leaning against the door frame, frowning.

"Scarlett?" he asked. It was less of a question and more of a warning, letting her know he was entering the room.

* * *

><p>Scarlett sniffled, quickly dried her cheeks, cleared her throat and spoke, "Yes Remus? What do you need?" She cursed herself in her mind. Her voice had come out more hoarse than she had wanted.<p>

His frown deepened. "Surely I can speak to you without wanting something?"

"Of course, of course. I'm sorry." Scarlett lowered her head to the table, feeling ashamed. It wasn't his fault.

Remus moved closer to the table and she heard the scraping of the chair next to her as he pulled it out. He sat and placed his hand on her back, just below her neck.

"Lett, what's wrong? Don't say nothing. I know you. You would _never_ cry over nothing. Who do I need to kill?"

Scarlett didn't answer. She didn't tell him to commit suicide. He would only feel guilty for not returning her feelings. A smile teased the corners of her mouth, but it wouldn't fully form. He always did feel guilt over the oddest things.

She lifted her head from the table and looked at him for the first time since he entered the room.

"Nothing," she said. "Honest," she added at the look Remus shot her way, "Just a man. A man who doesn't know I love him."

She fought hard to keep her heart out of her eyes and voice. Pleading with them to keep her secret. But, in the end, she cursed him for making her cry.

* * *

><p>Remus' face was infused with shock and Scarlett turned away. How could any man not know that this magnificent woman loved him?<p>

She was gorgeous and smart. She cooked, cleaned, and even took care of him before, after, and during the moons. Scarlett was the kind of girl any man should dream of.

Flames of jealousy burned through his chest. She was the kind of girl-woman-_he_ dreamed of. She was the woman _he_ wanted.

His eyes widened slightly as he realized what he had been thinking. He couldn't be-shouldn't be-having these thoughts of Scarlett.

Remus stood quickly, accidently shoving the chair back a few feet. Scarlett cringed, but he didn't notice. He began pacing furiously, as if his very life depended on how many laps he could make in how little time.

Remus was confused. Yes, he'd known he was attracted to Scarlett. Yes, he knew he fancied her. And yes, he often fancied himself in love with her.

No. That wasn't right. He couldn't love Scarlett. He had known her since she was eleven. Since she had shown up on the front porch, dripping wet and freezing, with Snape. Of course he was never around much until after she turned fourteen, but it still counted!

He was thirty when she was ten for Merlin's Sake! Now he was thirty-eight. What beautiful, intelligent, talented, young woman would want to be with an old, ugly, werewolf?

* * *

><p>Remus reclaimed his seat and placed his hand, once again, on Scarlett's back.<p>

"Any man who can't see what you love them isn't worth your breath," he whispered.

Scarlett shook her head.

"You're wrong. He's worth everything. My breath, my body, my soul, my life, my heart, my tears. Everything," she said sadly.

"Look at me, Lett," Remus said firmly. She didn't want to. She didn't want him to see her crying. "Scarlett, look at me." She raised her head.

Remus lifted his hand to her face and swiped his thumb under her eyes, removing the tears.

"I repeat, any man who doesn't realize you love him and doesn't return the feeling is absolutely barmy."

Scarlett lowered her head to Remus' shoulder and began sobbing into his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his hands up and down her back.

She cried for a few moments. How could he hold her like this and not love her? How could he say all these things when it was himself he was talking about?

"Thanks Remus," she said. She removed her head from her shoulder and in the process locked onto his eyes.

She may have just been crying, but to him she was still so beautiful.

Cupping her face in his hands, he lowered his lips to barely touch hers.

Scarlett was sure of it. She had died and gone to heaven.

* * *

><p>Remus didn't know why he was doing it. All he knew was that he wished he could do it more often.<p>

Then he remembered what they had been talking about. Scarlett loved someone else. He shouldn't be kissing her.

He pulled away reluctantly.

"Scarlett," he breathed as he stood, "We can't. You're in love."

"I know," she said and stood. After a moment of just staring him in the eyes-as if wishing to tell him something-she murmured, "So oblivious."

He didn't have time to respond as her mouth closed over his again. His breathing quickened when her tongue snaked out and touched is mouth. She drew back, releasing her hold on his lips. Without any further urging from her, he once again closed his mouth over hers.

Her knees buckled and he caught her around the waist, dragging her against his hard body. "Any further and I won't stop," he murmured against her mouth. She nodded.

He brushed her lips lightly, a soft, slow slide, his mouth as gentle as a spring breeze. His hand twined into her hair, lifted a strand and let it cascade through his fingers. His eyes lit from within by an intense, tangible passion.

Then he stopped playing games and plundered her mouth, bruised with a fervor that astounded Scarlett to the depths of her soul, that ignited a hot flood of desire she never recognized she possessed. She met him, succumbed to him, danced with him in a feirce waltz of desire and need.

Scarlett dissolved into his sizzling touch, into his heady scent and harsh moans. His mouth moved over her as if he couldn't get enough and she offered her own sigh of surprise. Heat scorched from his fingertips and crackled from his mouth. Fascination coalesced to craving, sweeping away resistance. Scarlett arched against him and tortured her own fingers with the silky mantle of his hair and partnered her tongue with his. She felt it. In fact, it was all she could feel at the moment.

Passion.

She burned with it like a flame. She knew that if she didn't grab this time with Remus, she might never find this perfect meeting ever again.

He cradled her against the sleek, tough contours of his chest.

He pulled his mouth away from hers, his breathing ragged, his eyes dilated. She was struck by how thick and long his eyelashes were. His dark, hungry gaze bored into her.

"This would be better continued in a room other than the kitchen, don't you think?"

"Definitely," she whispered, "Bedroom. Yours. Quick"

"Quick," he agreed as he looked into her eyes. They were bright with desire and wide with expectation.

He grabbed her hand and quickly led them to his bedroom.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-Lemon Here-<strong>_

Remus' bed was right there. He backed her up towards it until she sat down on the edge. Then he dropped to his knees and fingered the button of her jeans open. Scarlett lifted her butt off the bed slightly and he slid the denim off her legs with ease.

Soon she was left in her bra and underwear.

He pressed kisses along her legs, moving up her body. As he reached the junction of her thighs, he leaned in and kissed her once through her panties. She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair. He continued to move up her body, kissing each of her nipples through the cupped bra, along her neck, and then tipped her backwards slowly.

Her eyes closed as he kissed her silently as he slowly lowered her panties and reached behind her to unclasp her bra. Her breasts bounced free, nipples hardening considerably more as the cool air hit them.

When he slid his finger inside her a moment later, she plunged her tongue deeply into his mouth. They stroked each other to a primal beat. Gently. Passionately. Thoroughly. The air around them crackled as the passion threatened to bring them down. When he eased in a second finger, she moved her mouth from his and made the most exquisite sounds he'd ever heard.

Remus removed his fingers and kissed his way down Scarlett's throat before stopping at her breasts. He slid his tongue along her right nipple and softly, just teasingly so, placed feather-light kisses upon them.

Continuing along her body, he circled her navel with his tongue before continuing down. When his breath touched her thigh, a tremor of desire shook her. A few capable strokes, then a firecracker of pleasure.

He was taking her to a whole new paradise. She hadn't anticipated _this_ amount pleasure. With this wild, intimate kiss, he had her shifting restlessly beneath him.

Sinking her fingers through his hair, she wanted to hold him there. She also wanted more of him. All of him. She fought the rising ecstasy with everything she had, but with a flick of his tongue the victory was his. Gripping his shoulders, she raised her hips in glorious surrender to the first wild wave of pleasure.

Lifting himself over her, he entered her on the second wave. Instinct had her wrapping her legs around him, and they held on to each other as if the world would burst apart if they let go. Crying out as one, they soared over the edge and all the way to the far side of paradise.

Even in the aftermath he wouldn't let go. Rolling to his side, he brought her with him, kissing her with untamed joy.

-**_Lemon Ends-_**

* * *

><p>The next morning found Remus at the table in much the same position as Scarlett had the night before. He couldn't believe he had done what he did.<p>

What had he been thinking? She was in love with another man and he was in love with her. All last night had done was make things bad for them both and worse for himself.

He looked up and out the window. Moments later, he saw Scarlett out of the corner of his eye. Remus didn't move, didn't speak, just sat there.

She walked around the chairs and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Good morning," she said sleepily. He didn't reply. "Hey, what's wrong?" He didn't reply.

She took the seat next to him and turned his face to look at her. "Are you ok?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

He just looked at her, stood, and went to the other side of the kitchen and began pacing. She deserved to know, he just didn't know how to tell her.

"Remus?"

He stopped and looked at her.

"Last night...last night was-" "Incredible," she interrupted. "Seriously incredible. I wanted to tell you. Remus, I-" "It was a _mistake,_" he stopped her. "It was a complete mistake, Scarlett."

Her eyes began to tear up and he looked away, back to the window. He didn't want to hurt her, but it had to be done.

"Why? Why was it such a mistake?" she asked shakily.

He answered without looking at her. "Because you love someone else and I can't be hurt like that again."

Remus didn't turn to look at her, but he could clearly hear her sobbing.

"I'm not rejecting you, Scarlett. I'm saving myself. If it were all my choice, I'd keep you and never ever let you go."

"Remus, I-" she tried to tell him.

"No, Scarlett," he said firmly. "It won't work. We both know it."

Scarlett stood and moved to stand behind him.

"Why not?"

"I told you. it won't work and I won't be hurt like that."

She sighed. "Remus, listen-" "No," he said again. "I won't"

"Well then, I guess you'll never hear me tell you what an idiotic man you are. How blind you can be." At this he turned to face her.

"What?" he asked confused.

"You'll never hear me say how much I love your smile, your laugh, and your eyes. How I love the way you see the world. I love how you see me. That I love you from here, "she pulled him down to kiss his forhead, "to here," she touched her feet to his, "and everything in between."

Remus was shocked.

"I guess you'll never hear me say that it was _you_ that I was talking about last night when you found me in here. That I _wish_ last night would happen whenever we wished. How much I wish I could build a life with you. I-"

He grabbed her by the waist and cut her off with a kiss.

"Merlin, woman. I'm blind, not stupid."

"Says you," Scarlett said. "So will it work?"

"It certainly will. Because the whole time you were talking, you didn't hear me thinking how much _I_ love _you_."

Scarlett smiled and he captured her lips with his own again. "Reason for celebration?" she smirked.

"Definitely," he growled, picking her up and carrying her up the stairs to his room, her laughter following them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-Baby? Lemon Here-<strong>_

There wasn't an inch of her that he didn't taste that night, from the base of her throat to the curve of her waist to the backs of her knees to her candyapple-red toenails. And when he finally tasted the already damp petals of her womanhood, she tangled her fingers in his hair and arched her hips as the tremors of ecstasy shook her body. He felt each spasm as acutely as if she were connected to him.

As their bodies moved together they were rocked to their very souls at the intensity of the feelings that swept through them-feelings that were by turns shaky, sure, gentle, savage, generous, greedy, loving, passionate. With the last shreds of his self-control, he held on until he felt more tremors shake her body. Then he plunged deep and buried his face in her neck.

They groaned over and over as bolts of fulfillment shot through them.

**_-Ends-_**

"I love you, Scarlett. I love you," he said.

Scarlett smiled. "It's about damn time. I love you too."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: These were my first lemons so, if you read them, please go easy on me._**


End file.
